The MockingJay Dilemma
by BohemiaLX
Summary: President Snows love child gets picked to compete in the Hunger Games and the lengths her friends and family will go to to stop her dying. Even if it means turning her into the next MockingJay. Will she survive? Alternate universe. READ.long but awesome
1. Chapter 1

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I was the child that was never meant to be. But you've got that by now. You know that my father is President Snow. But what you don't know, or rather who, is me. My mother is the woman with the blonde hair and hollow eyes standing on the stage, where our district escort will pull out the names of our tributes; once she has stopped babbling and the video has been finished.

The video is the same as it always has been, it talks about the two rebellions that broke out in Panem, the most recent one was twenty five years ago. A young girl from District twelve became the leader of the rebellion and led hundereds of people into a slaughter. I think her name was something like a cat... I've only heard her name once. She's generally refered to as 'the girl'.

The video is finished now, the anthem plays.

Do you see that man, the brown headed old man standing on the side? He raised me from a child, him and his wife. His wife was my nanny, my mother naturally wanted nothing to do with me. I don't blame her. Not a single bit. I applaud her, because I know in her heart she did the best she could for me and that involved allowing a stranger to raise me, those strangers became my mother and father. In the male side of the reaping stage are my family. Not my biological family, they are the childeren of my mother and father.

"Ladies first!" Our district escort, a small pompous woman, waddles over to the ball of female names and digs her hand in. In that ball, there is one paper containing my name, just one. I am sixteen, if I was normal then I would have my name in there the mandatory amount. But President Snow gave orders that my name only be there once, no one else knows of course, just the only people necessary do. My chances of getting picked are 10000 to 1. Just 1, but you know what happens next. You wouldn't be reading if you didn't.

You know that as our escorts hand plucks a paper from the nest in the bowl, as she peels it open ever so delicately between her slender fingers, you know her hoarse voice will shout;

"Scarlett Cadett."

You know, that I am chosen to fight in the 100th Hunger Games of Panem.

Chapter one- the reaping

I have never seen the view from the stage. How grim. All the children of our district stood together in their best clothes would be a lovely sight, if it weren't for the circumstances, but their grim faces is what makes the sight heart breaking. Usually we all look sadly at the person on the stage and try to smile out of comfort. But nobody is smiling. They all know me. I was raised collectively by the town. The childeren are my friends. I can name every single pair of eyes staring at me. They are horror struck.

"I volunteer!" A girl from the back shouts. Jenna Mclaren, a friend from school. She runs to the stage and it takes me a few moments to realise what has happened.

"No." I choke out. I won't let her do it. I know her parents, they've had me over for dinner many times and I know her brothers and sisters. They would be broken without her. The crowd looks shocked at the words I have spoken. This is the first time in history a tribute has objected to a volunteer.

"I do not accept the volunteer." I say.

"I'm not sure what the rules are on that..." The escort's sqeaky voice trails off. She sees the stern look in my eyes and shoo's Jenna away. Before she can continues, hands start shooting up from the girl's side. Each of them volunteer. I look up at the camera's looking down on the square, will Snow be watching this?

"No way," I look at them all and their hands go down. I love them all too much to let them die this year.

Haileur Dupre, our escort goes over to the boys reaping ball and quickly pulls out a piece of paper. You can tell her mind is elsewhere. The stunt before has made everyone quiet. A third of the girls and parents on the sidelines have broken down into sobs. Alone the sobs would be quiet, but collectively they are loud.

"Daniel Stepile." She coughs as if she is removing a lump from her throat.

He also goes to my school, we sit together in History. I don't have to go to school, but I choose to. He makes his way to the stage but before he steps up a brunette headed boy makes his way pushing past people to the front.

"I volunteer." Duncan Donovan. He is the eldest son of my mother and father. We never talk much. When I am there he generally mumbles a greeting and goes to his room. I am closer with his four younger siblings than him. Why he would volunteer is a mystery to me, he has no ties with Daniel that I know of. But I soon realise why he volunteered when he gets onto stage.

A look that is all he gives me. A look, but in that look I can see it all. He volunteered to protect me. Why he would want to protect me is a mystery, but I am overwhelmed with emotion. The fact that he would give is life for me is the stupidest thing he could ever do. Which is why I run across the stage before to him and hug him. I am aware of the thousands of eyes fixed on us, but I am more aware of his strong arms hugging back.

_President Snow watched the footage of his daughter hugging the lowly brunette boy. A daughter of his, albeit the daughter that was never meant to be, was huging a boy of district 10. She was only born because Snow desired her mother. She was the most astonishing woman he had ever seen. She became his mistress willingly, but only for a few years. She became pregnant with his child and she was unwilling to abort it. Snow was an old man but inside he was young, that said, if the people were to find out he had fathered the child of a twenty four year old, it would be a scandal. He was a fool a fool to allow her to return to district 10 as a victor rather than stay with him, but he could not find a way to refuse her. His existance had been hollow since then. The only times he looked forward to was when she came to coach the tributes of her district for the Hunger Games. She always left their daughter at home, but when she was five she came to the games with her mother because her nanny was ill. _

_His daughter had been playing outside the bench where tributes sat and waited until they performed to the game makers. When Snow asked her mother, later,why she was there she merely said that Scarlett had become attatched to this years tributes._

_He was on his way to see the game-makers about this years games when he noticed the little girl sitting on the bench. She looked nothing like her mother but she was beautiful in her own right. Her hair was a mixture of crimson and chocolate, she took after him. Snow didn't know who she was at first, he was only curious as to why a five year old was waiting outside the game makers room and how she managed to sneak past the peacekeepers._

_"Excuse me miss?" He sat next to her. She looked up from her china doll, he was a little taken aback as he saw her aqua eyes fly up to look at him. "How did you get here?" He asked once he composed himself._

_"The guards don't look for five year olds." She said slyly. For a five year old she was very mature._

_"Of course," Snow just chuckled, "They aren't guards," he corrected, "they are peacekeepers."_

_"They don't keep much peace." She stated, then she went back to playing with the doll._

_At this Snow was irked. She may have been only five but she clearly did not understand that the peace keepers were there for her own safety. "Who are you're parents?" He demanded, still keeping his voice level so not to scare her. _

_"Anastasia Cadett." She looked up to see him, "and my father is Coriolanus Snow."_

_He realised who she was at once. His daughter. _

_Out of all his children, he liked her the most. He took her out for an ice cream and some food, showed her around the Capitol, and bought her various different books. She especially loved the Capitol's library but was very confused as to why it was so void of people. All the time they spent together, she still did not know he was President Snow, and he didn't want her to know yet. As they walked the streets many people recognised him but didn't dare approach him, he was never to be approached without reason._

_"Do you like the Capitol?" He asked her as the sat down to eat some strawberry ice cream. _

_"Very much so," she took a spoonful. _

_Snow wasn't eating any, the ice cream somehow irritated his ulcers and forced them to rupture. The advancements in medicine since the end of the rebellions meant they could sew up the ulcers to stop the blood leakage but he could no longer eat solid meals incase they ripped the seams._

_"You could stay here, if you wanted." He slipped that into the conversation._

_"No," She answered simply, then swung her legs back and forth, while eating another spoonful._

_Snow, stuttered but managed to spit out, "why?"_

_"Because I can't breathe here. I can only breathe when I'm with my family."_

_"But your mother would be here too, she is your family." He was starting to get annoyed. He didn't understand, did she have other brothers and sisters or more family?_

_"My family is the whole of District 10, I wouldn't be able to breathe without them."_

_After that she had to keep up the conversation as Snow became lost in his own thoughts. Eventually she got tired and he carried her to the tributes apartments. Her mother had gone crazy when she realised the girl was missing, but when she opened the door to see Snow standing there with his sleeping daughter in his arms, she went ballistic. The tributes took Scarlett up to her bed, while Anastasia told him never to come back. He could have had her executed, but he decided not to, Scarlett would never forgive him if she found out her father had killed her mother. Insted he obeyed, but got certain peacekeepers to report to him on her well being. He would also have a camera trained on her only for his viewing during the Reaping. He had done his best to reduce the chances of her being chosen for the games by only allowing her name to be entered once, and even then his direct orders to the escort was to avoid the left side of the bowl as her name would be there. But somehow her name got picked, and the odds were not in his favour._

_"Sir?" _

_Snow was snapped out of his walk down memory lane when one of his advisors turned away from the scene of his daughter and the boy standing side by side, to the President who was sitting at his desk with his hand pressing against each other in thought. _

_"What?" He snapped._

_"Its happening again." Those simple three words sent a shiver down Snow's spine. He knew what happened last time two tributes felt that way towards each other. "We cannot allow her to become their new MockingJay."_


	2. Chapter 2: The train ride

Chapter 2

I am standing against the window, looking out onto the faces in the square looking up at me in the justice building. The door swings open from behind me, and to my surprise, my mother is standing there. Her eyes are more filled with emotion than I had ever seen. But it is hatered they were filled with, not for me, but for what is going to happen to me.

"Listen to me, I don't have long." She walks in, grabs me by the wrist and kisses my forehead. "I will get you out of this sweetie," her kindness towards me is new. "You won't have to fight. But in case you do, I want you to try and make as many friends as possible. They'll hesitate to kill you and those seconds could save your life." With that she hugs me as tight as she can. This is the first time she has held me, and I dread to think it could be the last. She smells of lavender and safety, I don't want her to let me go.

"I love you, you know that. I know I haven't show it much but I do." With that she was yanked away from me. It all fell apart then and I began hyperventillating.

"Mommy!" I screamed as they took her away from me. I sounded like a child, but I couldn't help it. I made a dash for the door but they closed it. I dug my fingernails in the wood and sobbed against the door. I didn't want to do this anymore, I didn't want to die.

My eyes fly open from the dream. Its real. I know it is. Because I remember it happening. My cushion is soaked through with tears. My mother won't be mentoring us. She somehow got out of it. Instead I will be mentored by someone else. Duncan will have his own mentor, as district ten has three victors.

I sit up in the bed and hold my knees to my chest. I feel sick. I want to puke, but I can't. I don't want to be here. The reality of the situation is dawning on me. I am being transported to the Capitol, to be preped for my death. There is no doubt in my mind that I will die. Every year we are forced to watch the Hunger Games, and every year I wonder how they manage to survive. I know I won't be able to. My life has been a sheltered one, Duncan has more chance of survival than me.

I look up at the door when I hear it sqeak open. Duncan is standing there.

"You okay? I heard you screaming." He is shirtless, and I can't help but tilt my head to the side to see if I'm seeing this right, he had a very muscly and toned chest. He works in the fields all day with the few plant district 10 grows, rather than with the live stock. But I didn't expect him to be so...

"Fine... I'm mean _I'm_ fine. It was just a nightmare." This is the most we have spoken to each other, normally we exchange more less than three words and that's it.

"If you're sure..."

"I'm sure," I say. He hovers at the door for a moment and stuffs his hands in his pocket.

"How come you're up?" I asks, more to make him feel less awkward than curiousity.

"I...er... Couldn't sleep." He shuffles about nervously, unsure of what to do with himself.

"Come on in," I know his discomfort. He hesistates before walking in and sitting on the foot of the bed. Its hard for me to see him there so I pat the empty bed side next to me to tell him to sit there. He stares reluctantly. The room is farely big, its the same size as my bedroom at home. But the black, silk sheets are richer and less worn out. There is a mahogany chest of drawers on the opposite side of the room, next to the door to the joining bathroom. The door to the bedroom is next to the wall of the bathroom door.

"I don't bite," I laugh. He just smiles and gets up to sit there. The bed jumps a little as he sits next to me. Its now that I realise that I have nothing to talk about.

"What did mum say?" I ask him. My nanny/mum wasn't allowed to come see me off, it was strictly the essential people that only meant my mother. "I mean, nanny." I corrected myself because of the confused look on his face. He has never heard me call his parents 'mum' and 'dad', he's never been around long enough to hear.

"They told me I was an idiot.

I turn my head to him quickly in surprise.

"For volunteering," he grinned as if my surprise was amusing. "But they also said that they had never been more prouder of me than at that moment."

"I'm proud of you too." And its true, I am. He looks surprised at my comment, and it was my turn to smirk at his surprise. "It was a good thing you did. Granted, you are a complete idiot. But I know the boy you saved, and he wouldn't be able to survive in arena."

"And I would?" His voice was a grim, as if he knew he was going to die.

"Yes. Duncan, you could win this thing."

"No, I can't."

"Yes you can. Why else would you have volunteered?"

"To protect you."

"Why?" I demand, still not grasping the root of his actions.

"Because Scarlett," he looked down. But before he answers I know the reply. Its hearing him say it that makes my heart jump. "I'm in love with you. I have been for the past three years."

The words hit me like all the breath has been knocked out of my chest. He... He loves me? "Then why did you always leave to go to your room whenever I was at your house?"

"Because, I felt..." He searches to find a word, "awkward, around you. You have no idea, the effect you have on people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I'm a little offended. Do I make people feel tense, awkward or shy? Am I that bad a person?

He takes my hand. At first my instinct is to jerk away but I don't. For all the reasons I should, there is only one for why I shouldn't. I like him. I had crush on him, but I never saw it as anything else. Just a mild crush. But either way, I didn't want to let go of his hand.

"I mean-"

His speach is cut off midway by the sound of a shrill and nasal voice.

"You should not be in here!"

It is our escort. I can never remember her name. Her wig has been placed on roughly and she looks completely washed out with no make-up on. "Get out!" She yells at Duncan. He's finding this whole situation rather humouress and as she tugs him up by the arm he looks back at me and, almost as if he wanted to get under our escorts skin, he blew her a kiss.

She gasped and hit his shoulder. His chortle could be heard down the train compartment to his own room.

He was much funny than I had ever thought him to be. But the circumstances were awful. He could be dead in a few months. Our escort stays outside my room for the entire night. When I wake up, get dressed and walk out the room, I am stuck because she is sprawled on the floor snoring. The stool she was sitting on is in tact. I tread over her as nicely as I can and head for breakfast.

Duncan is sitting there already. He is the only one there. He smiles when he sees me walking. I haven't quite sussed him out. He's like an entirely new person. "Hey you're up." He states. Before I sit down he gets up and pulls my chair out for me. Its nothing new. When I would have dinner at his house, though we didn't speak much, he was always a gentleman and pulled out my chair.

"Hali spent the entire night outside your room to make sure I didn't go in there again." He mused as he poured himself some coffee.

I took a sip of my hot chocolate. It took me a few seconds to remember Hali was a nick name for our escort. "I had to jump over her to get out of my room this morning."

"So did you sleep alright then?"

"Yes."

"You're lying." He stated outright.

"How do you know?" I was a little offended. Yes, I was lying but how could he have possibly known that. I have no tell.

"You always become too steady and controlled when you're lying."

I consider what he's saying. Its true. When I lie, I control every part of myself. I become aware if even a finger moves out of place. But how he knows that, I don't know.

"Good morning childeren."

We look up to see a dark skinned man with white hair walk in. He is fairly strong looking and quite scary. Following in behind him is a blonde man with blue eyes. They must be our mentors. A part of me hopes the white haired man is my mentor, because as the other one sits down he keeps his eyes fixed on me, making me very self concious. The white haired one sits down opposite me.

"I am..." he pauses, "Exma."

Its an odd name, but who am I to judge. Exma stares at the blonde haired man, and he leans back in his chair staring at me. Exma kicks him under the table, I know because the cutlery on the table clangs as he does.

"Ouch!" He squeaks. His voice is rough and dry, "I'm Harry."

Exma gives him a dirty look. Duncan extends his hand to Harry and Exma. They both look startled to see him, because up till now they've been paying attention to me.

"So which of you is mentoring each of us?" Duncan asked.

"Ha-" he stops again, "-rry is mentoring Scarlett. And I'm going to mentor you." We each began to eat our food as Exma and Duncan chatted about different stragtergies. I tried making conversation with Harry but he would just grunt answers and allow the conversation to die, all the while he kept observing me like he was waiting to for me to do something.

When Hali makes an appearance I was glad of her chatty nature. Of course, when she first sit down her first oder of business was to scold Duncan.

"Young man, you are not to go into her room again!" Her Capitol accent makes her scolding humouress. But what makes him laugh is her serious tone.

I blush slightly because Exma and Harry must be getting the wrong idea.

"I can't promise anything Hali," he chuckles at her. I must be bright red by this time. We continue eating and making conversation. Looking at us from afar, you would never guess that they are all transporting us to our sure deaths.


	3. Chapter 3: The Opening Ceremony

Chapter 3- The Qautre Quell.

Freya is my stylist. She is a young woman wearing a grey frumpy frock and glasses. She is zipping me up from the back. My dress is made from white feathers, it comes up just below my knees. It is the most breath taking thing I have ever seen in my life.

There is a knock on the door and Exma comes in. Upon seeing me he clasps his hands together and tilts his head to the side to admire.

"You are beautiful." He says simply.

"Its amazing what a clothes can do to a person."

He waves Freya away and she leaves. He comes towards me holds both my hands comfortingly. "Its amazing what you can do to the clothes. This dress was tried on several models and each of them looked hideous. We were going to throw it out until we saw you in person last night. Then we decided to have a back up dress just in case."

By 'we' I assumed he meant Freya and himself.

"Why are you taking a lot of interest in me when Duncan is your tribute?" My blunt question seems to take him back. He wanders over to the coner of the room behind me and comes back with a set of large bird wings.

"Because Harry and I will be mentoring both of you equally."

He helps me put the wings on and sets me in front of the mirror. If I thought the dress was beautiful before, its stunning now. I am a dove. This has to be the best costume our district has ever had. Normally we are dressed as farmers or animals. There are many birds in District 10. But they all thrive in freedom beyond the border of 10, in the forests.

"Now when you go out there, dazzle them. This will be your first impression on everyone and you must come across as a desirable young lady."

"Okay." I look down at the floor. Controlling myself. I've never liked to be in large unknown crowds. But when I am, I'm always very social.

Desirable. I have no idea how I'm going to play that but I have to somehow. Desirable. That's probably the last thing I am.

He takes me to the area backstage where all the chariots are waiting. Exma tells me to climb in and he will go and get Duncan.

People are rushing to and fro. Most of the chariots have been loaded up with their tributes. As I pass district eleven to get to mine, they stare at me. Its very unnerving. I don't like attention.

When I get to the chariot try to figure out how I'm going to climb into it. These are quite high and have a barrier at the back to stop tributes from jumping out and running away as some attempted to in the past. There's supposed to be a ladder but I'm guessing one of the other tributes stole ours.

"Excuse me?" I call to one of the people rushing about. But I don't think they've heard me as they continue to rush.

"Here,"

Says a voice from behind me. I turn around to see a blonde boy with grey eyes, he's holding a step ladder.

"Oh thank you," I say. I'm about to take the step ladder when he places it on the floor next to the chariot for me to get on. I smile politely and climb it.

Before I can do anything, his hand takes mine delicately and he helps me climb up the ladder. When I'm standing in the chariot he comes around the front and leans against the horse.

"So you're from district ten," it sounds more like a statement than a question, but I answer any way.

"Yes, and you are..." I indicate for him to tell me.

"Xavier," he shakes my hand, "District one."

"Pleased to meet you." I say cordially. My polite tone seems to amuse him.

"What's so funny?"

A smile spreads across my face when I see Duncan standing behind Xavier. He has to turn to see him.

"Nothing." Xavier replies nonchalantly. He stands up, "I'll see you around Scarlett." He says and with that he brushes roughly past Duncan and leaves. I don't know how he knows my name, he probably watched a rerun of the reapings. But I don't really care. My eyes are fixed on Duncan. He is wearing a black shirt and trousers. But that isn't the mesmerising part. He has large black wings, the same as mine. I don't know what bird he is, but he is dashing.

Just as I am staring at him, I catch him staring back at me.

"You look..." He trails off.

"Thanks." I say anyway, a smile on my face. "You look... Too."

He chuckles and climbs into the chariot with me.

The anthem of Panem starts up and District one's chariot roles out. They are met with a roar of applause. And that is the start of the Hunger Games opening ceremony. Duncan and I wait in silence as the other chariots role out. The waiting is the hardest part. I hate it. The only thing to interput our waiting is when Exema accidently knocks over a man holding a bowl full of papers, we turn back to see what happened and then turn away again when he helps him put the papers back, losing interest.

"This is it." Duncan whispers when district nine has just roled out. We will be next. A knot forms in the pit of my stomach. I am most nervous about the audience reaction towards our costumes. A man whips the horses and they begin trotting. Before long we our out on the streets of Panem.

I didn't have to worry. They are screaming with applause. I can't hear myself think over their loudness. It is overwhelming. As we role into the stadium the camera's train on us and I can see why they were so loud with appreciation. Duncan and I standing together look positively wonderful. Radiant infact. The camera's linger on us even as district eleven roles through. Then eventually they flicker to them. What must be going through my mothers head right now? Are my other parents with her? Comforting her? I really hope they are.

The chariot hits a bump and I fall. Before I hit the side of the chariot and fall out Duncan stops waving and grabs me quickly. He hovers there, just staring at me, then pulls me up next to him. He doesn't let go of my hand, for fear I might fall again. But I don't mind. When I look up I can see everyone cheering, the camera's caught my fall, but that makes the crowd much louder and I can even hear some wolf-whistles.

It re-assures me and even instills some confidence in me. But as I continue waving, a feel a chill down my spine. Some one is watching me. Its silly of course, millions of people are watching me. But there's one person whose eyes are fixed on me. And as I look to the stage I can see who it is. President Snow. My father. This is the first time I have seen him in person since I was younger. All I can think is, he is so old. I meet his gaze. His face is graven and wrinkly. What is he thinking about? I smile at him, only to be cordial, and to my surprise his face lights up and he smiles back.

The chariots halt to a stop and runners come with step ladders. Duncan gets out first and holds his hand out for me to take as I climb down. I can't help but think he's acting rather possessive since Xavier did the same thing. We all climb onto the stage and the crowd is silenced. President Snow takes the center stage, in front of a microphone.

"Welcome, welcome to the anual Hunger Games! And this year it is a Quatre Quell! My my, what an exciting year, the 100th Games." The crowd cheer then quiten down, like their cheers during speaches are staged. A man with a brown rectangular box steps foreward. "Now then, let's get down to business." Says Snow. He recites the reason for the Hunger Games and the reason for the Quatre Quell. He talks about the past three Quatre Quells and what they entailed. Once he is done he goes to the box. "This year," he opens it and goes to the fourth envelope, he opens it slowly. No doubt he already knows what is written on it. "To show the the mercy of Panem against the surviving traitors, one District may be exempt from the Humger Games this year." Simultaneosly, every single person in that stadium inhales charply at his word. _ Exempt..._They won't have to die. This means the world to the tributes. My mind puts it together. There is no way that any other district apart from mine will become exempt.

_"I will get you out of this sweetie...You won't have to fight."_ My mothers words echo in my mind. Did she and Snow formulate a plan to stop me being in the Hunger Games. I look at Snow to find him glancing at me quickly. He knows what I am thinking. While the crowd is in frenzy he quickly speaks.

"Yes," he says into the microphone, that yes was directed at me, "it is truely wonderful. Now to maintain a fair chance. Each district has been placed in this ball once." A man with a glass ball walks out onto stage. It was the one that tripped. I understood why there was a reaping ball now. Except this ball was not going to pick the people dying, it was going to pick the people surviving. More importantly, it was going to pick district 10.

"Good luck," Snow said, and almost ironically; "May the odds be ever in your favour." He dived his hand in. Snow would never do this unless he was sure every single paper in there said district ten. He pulled out a paper when he was satisfied. A camera is trained on the piece of paper behind him. So when he opens it the entire world will see also. He pulls it open and glancing, not really reading the paper, then booms.

"District Te-" he looks again at the paper to see if he really did see what he saw. Because the paper does not say district ten.

It says district eleven.


	4. Chapter 4: The first training session

**Okay so this chapter is quite long but please keep reading because its going to get good! And please comment and get your friends reading the story because not many people have read it :(**

His face says it all. This was not meant to happen. As he reads out district 11, congratulates them and hands them the deeds to a victors house to share, as he witnesses them rejoicing, as he watched them leave with the peackeepers to board a train back home, I can see on his face that it was meant to be me and Duncan.

We are all dissmissed in a cermonial fashion. So Snow can figure out how it happened.

"What did you do?" I ask Harry. It is midnight and he is sitting at the table alone drinking. I had another nightmare and Hali was sleeping in front of my door, so I snuck out for a walk. Upon going downstairs I saw Harry sitting down at the table drinking so I seized the opotunity to confirm my suspicions. Harry and Exema had something to do with my name not being in the ball. We haven't seen Exema since the accident he had with the ball.

Harry looks up at me. "I dunno what you're talking about." He is lying. But why? And I realise, as he looks around the apartment, that it is unsafe to talk here. He gives me a look to see if I've understood why he cannot say anything, I nod and leave to go back to my room.

I stand over Hali's snoring body. She clearly isn't as light a sleeper as she thought. I don't want to go back to my room. But I have no where else to go. The only other place that comes to mind is Duncan's room. But he could be asleep.

I quietly open the door to his room.

"Duncan?" I whisper, checking if he is awake. There are a few seconds of silence until he finally whispers back;

"Yeah?"

"Can I stay in here for a while?" I keep whispering in case Hali wakes up. When we were on the train we were quite loud.

"Of course." He says as if I neednt have asked. He props himself up and pats the space next to him.

"I don't bite you know," he mimicks. I laugh quietly and get under the covers beside him.

"I was watching the rerun of the opening ceremony." He begins. "Apparently they had quite a field day when you fell and I caught you."

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"Here, I think its probably still on." He puts the television onto a quiet volume and turns to the reruns. They show the opening ceremony. I see what he means. When I fall and he catches me, the put that into slow motion and start speculating things. Whether he likes me or not. The speculation is not because he caught me, but its because of the few seconds we spent hovering there, it keeps showing the look we gave each other.

I look down at the bed covers and he knows I don't want to see it anymore so he shuts off the television.

"The press make a big deal out of nothing." I mumble.

"Don't let them get to you." He says, after noting my sour expression. "Don't let them influence you in any way. Its up to you what you want to do." I don't get what he means by this.

I'm still not sleepy and neither is Duncan, either that or he is a good liar.

"Do you want to play a game?" He says. Its an odd request, but I'd do anything to go to sleep.

"What game?" I ask.

"Hangman's Gallows."

I smile, because this is a game his mother taught me. From his side drawer he brings out a pencil and paper. Capitol paper is much smoother than the paper we have at home. Playing the game is a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless. Tomorrow will be our first training session and then our interviews. Every year the schedule of events in the games changes. But its still the same old bloodbath.

In the morning I am awoken by the sound of a laugh. I don't open my eyes immediately. Instead I focus on waking up completely. I know I slept in Duncan's room. But as I move my arm through the bed covers I can't feel Duncan anywhere.

"Hey Exma, check this out." I hear Harry call. I'm going to get up and protest but my eyes are so heavy with sleep. I hear Exma's heavy footsteps as he enters the room. He laughs too.

"Remind you of anyone?" Harry laughs. "Well not as gentlmanly." Exma chuckles. I want to open my eyes to see what their laughing at. So I slowly pry my eyes open. "I'll go distract Hali." He says.

"Wakey, wakey kids." Harry chimes. I open my eyes and sit up on the bed. He is leaning against the door frame sipping a mug of something hot, looking down at the floor beside the bed. I lean over groggily to see. Duncan is sleeping on the floor with a cushion and a blanket. He must have slept there last night. He is a gentleman. He always has been. But I can't imagine sleeping on the floor was comfortable.

"Good you're up." Harry says unenthusiatically. "Get up, its your first training session." With that he leaves. I heave myself off the bed to Duncan. I shake him gently.

"Hm?" He murmurs.

"Dunc? Get up its morning." I say. He opens his eyes. A large smile spreads across his face. "So you really are here."

"Where else would I be?"

"I thought I was dreaming." He says. Then a whack a cushion against his chest playfully. "Well you're not. And we have to get to training."

"Keep your heads down. Go to the boring work stations. And whatever you do, stay together."

When the elevator doors open Harry pushed us out. Not even gently, very gruffly, as if he has more important business to attend to.

The first thing I notice are the cameras. They are positioned on the edge of the game makers seating area, probably so they can re-watch the footage incase, in a very likely scenerio, they don't pay attention.

All the tributes are lined up looking at the gamemakers platform. Their expressions hold looks of confusion. As we walk to join them I follow their eyes to see what they are staring so intently at.

President Snow.

He's sitting down at a table, talking and laughing with the other gamemakers. He does not even lift his gaze when when he catches sight of me, instead he continues talking calmly. I never know what he's thinking. I wish I did. Maybe I would hate him a lot less than I do now. I hate him mainly because of his participation in the games.

We stand to attention as the coach walks to us. She explains how the training sessions work. But I'm no longer listening to him babble. My eyes wander to the equiptment laid out. There are three sides. Survival, defense and Weaponry. I guess Duncan and I will have to stay in the Survival side.

"Let me help." Duncan says.

"I can do it..." I try to undo my knot. Somehow, I get my hands stuck in it. With a sigh of defeat I put my hands out for Duncan to undo the knot. He fiddles around with it, trying to undo it. When his fingers faulter, he laughs.

"I can do it, you've done it too tight."

I try wriggling my fingers around. You would think that I would be a little distressed, but I just find the situation amusing.

"Allow me."

I turn around to see a boy with blonde hair and grey eyes. Xavier.

Before I can protest he puts his fingers to work and sets me free of the knot.

"Thank you." I say, then I turn away. I'm am starting to dislike him very much. The way he just turns up out of nowhere.

"Survival," he notes, he's clearly not going to leave, "playing it safe are we?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Duncan attempts to loom over him menacingly but I stand in his way. "Dunc leave it."

Duncan doesn't do anything. He listens to me. I am grateful for his respectful nature. If he did beat Xavier up it would be against the rules and who knows what they would do to him.

"Go." I warn Xavier. He does, not before casting me a sideways glance.

"See you later."

A shiver runs down my spine. "I hate that guy." I need to distract myself. When I talk to him, I feel...dirty. My gaze drifts upwards when Duncan sqeezes my shoulder comfortingly.

"Thanks."

But I need to do something. "Hey Dunc, I'm gonna go look at the other stations." I say.

"Sure."

I wander away from the station. I could look at the rest of the survival stations, but I don't want to. I want to hit something. I don't know why. I just do. Archery. Perfect. I've never done it before in my life, so trying to learn it will be a challenge that will distract me. A blue headed girl is already there. She has a nose ring and blue lips. She must be from District 1. They have the most freedom. Her mouth is moving up and down. She's chewing something. I take a bow and stand in the lane next to her. She pays no attention to me.

"Hi." I say. In an attempt to make friends. I remember what my mother told me to do. Make friends and they will hesistate to kill me.

She looks at me then turns her attention back. "That's not going to work you know. Making friends."

Her abrupt nature shocks me at first. But then again why waste time when you could be dead soon.

"It was worth a shot." I shrug and take up my bow. I use all my effort to aim but I miss. "So what district are you from?" I ask the girl.

She looks me up and down. "Nine."

"I'm from ten."

I reload and aim again. I miss. This is getting aggravating. I can hear the girl from district nine sniggering.

"You're doing it wrong." Xavier is behind me. I don't turn around.

"Well the other thing I can do is to aim it at your head. Come closer at your own peril."

"Ouch," he muses. I scoff at him and turn around, my bow pointed at him.

He puts his hands up playfully, not taking this situation seriously. "Look I'm sorry," I return my attention to my previous surrounding. "Let me help you."

"No."

"No funny business, I promise." He walks up besides me and his promise looks genuine. I need to know how to do this, and he's the only person willing to show me. "Fine."

He walks behind me and put his hands on my waist, immediately I move from his grip. "No funny business!" I remind him.

"I took a promise didn't I?"

I pause, then nod and allow him to grip my waist. He positions me side ways.

"Now hold up the bow." I hold it as I was. He takes my elbow and brings it up so it is at my elbow. "Now draw back the bow." I do as he says and release. It misses, but by less than it did before. He fetches another arrow and places it in the slot, telling me not to move an inch. He moves closer to me. I can feel his breath on my neck, but I do not respond. I pull back and get ready to shoot again.

"Wait," he says and he puts his hands over mine. His head is down on my shoulder so he can see at my level.

"Here's your problem, you need to pull the bow back as far as your mouth and keep its straight." He keeps his hand on mine and navigates it to where it needs to be. "And keep your stomach muscles in." He puts his hand on my stomach I let out a little gasp. He just laughs. "No funny business."

His hands stay on my stomach as I pull back and. It hits the board. Not in the middle, but it hits the board, just a little outside of it.

"I hit it!" I sqeal.

I pivot to face him only to come face to face with his chest.

"Erm thanksss you..." I stutter and clear my throat. "Thank you." I say.

"You're welcome." He replies. "You have a hair just there," with his hand he brushes my hair out of my eyes to the other side of my face where it belongs.

"Thanks I say." Then I walk away before anything else can happen. Duncan is at the camoflauge section. He sees me coming and looks up smiling. "I tried to go for a tree, looks more like a giant poop." He indicates to his painted hand. Duncan. I know he has a crush on me. Its obvious, and I have a crush on him. Liking him is better than liking Xavier. And before I can do anything, my lips are on his. He is startled at first, but then I can feel him kissing me back. When I draw back, he is grinning madly, "what was that for."

"I just wanted to see something."

There is definately an attraction between us. "So what are we doing now?" I ask. He begins talking about the camoflauge and I listen half-heartedly. I'm being stupid. I am being trained to kill 23 people and here I am, contemplating my possible attraction to two people. I guess I'm thankful for the normality though. My eyes fly up to the game maker section when I feel a pair of eyes staring at me. Snow. His eyes meet mine and I know he saw Duncan and I kiss. He doesn't approve. And when he doesn't approve of something, he gets rid of it. I pick up a paintbrush and chat and laugh with Duncan for the next few hours, trying to figure out what to do about the silent message I have just received.

_If I pursue anything with Duncan, he's dead._

When the elevator doors open, the first image greeting us is Harry pacing back and forth. Exma is standing against the wall rubbing his eyes with his fingers, he is clearly perplexed. When they first spot us with Hali, the minute the elevator doors open Harry pounces.

"What the hell happened to stay together!" He yells.

"What are you talking about?" I ask. We step out of the elevator. Exma ushers Hali into the apartment and shuts the door before she can object.

He comes back and shows us a newspaper with an enlarged picture of me and Xavier, he's brushing the hair out of my face. The image portrays a wrong image. It makes it seem like there's something between us. There isn't. There must not be.

"That's what I'm talking about." Harry's voice becomes a growl now. He steps towards me menacingly like he is going to hurt me.

"Now listen here I swear if you don't do as I say then-"

"Don't talk to her like that." Duncan steps in front of me.

"Step out of the way. This doesn't concern you."

"If it concerns Scarlett it concerns me."

Harry looks like he's about to explode but instead he turns around to Exma. "Explain it to the girl. I need a drink." He barges past him to the apartment door. But just before he goes in Exma murmurs something to him. I can just about hear it.

"Remember the promise you made to her and your son."

Harry hesistates and turns around back to us, much calmer now.

"I just need you to do as I say. Don't doubt me and just listen. Stay with Duncan." With that he goes back inside.

I want to stay with Duncan, but I know if I do, he could very well end up dead before the games. I know what Snow is capable of.

So when there is a knock on my bedroom door in the middle of the night, and I find my father standing there, it is no surprise. Everyone is sleeping and I am the only one awake.

"Let's take a walk shall we?"


	5. Chapter 5: Snows Request

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Chapter 5

"My advisors are wary that you will be difficult." He starts. We are sitting in the garden outside his mansion. An Avox served us tea and scones. There are a million dazzling stars in the sky yet my eyes are drawn to the one man sitting in front of me. I don't talk. I don't know what to say. This is the first time I have ever talked to the man. Or even been this close to him. I remember meeting him when I was five, but I can't remember much only that he took me to the library. But I wrote that off as a dream many years ago, until I came to the Capitol again and saw the library he took me to.

"Scarlett," the first time I've heard him say my name, "you knew that the reaping ball was not meant to have your name. You knew that the Quatre Quell twist was meant to take you out of harms way. You know what will happen to that boy if you pursue things with him."

Hearing those words confirms everything. "What's your point?" I try to sound angry, but my voice is croaky and it sounds timid. He knows and his expression softens. I don't think he wanted to frighten me, and I can see some remorse in his eyes.

"My point," he leans forward, "is that we have always understood each other, without the necessity of words. But I'm afraid words are needed now. That boy, from district one," I am confused now. I believe he means Xavier, but what would that have to do with any-...oh. He wants me to 'like' Xavier. It was him who leaked that Photo to the press. That's why he was in the training session and that's why there was a camera. "Why did you do it?"

"I didn't think you'd catch on that fast." He says, pride in his voice "It is simple. Fall hopelessly in love with that boy and on your last interview. Mention that you are pregnant. We will take it from there." Telling people I'm pregnant on live t.v will enable them to have reason to take me out of the games. Play on the public sympathy.

"But why Xavier?"

"Because he would make a fitting son-in-law."

He wants me to marry him. "No."

"I'm afraid I need a yes."

"No." I stand up and stay still. He stands up to and walks towards me. His hand rests on my cheek. "My beautiful daughter, I am doing this as an act of kindness. Defy me, and you will not be the only one to suffer." With that he hugs me, "I am truly sorry." and tells the guards to escort me back to my room.

The empty apartment is a cold place to come back to. I am in a daze. I don't know what to do. He's just planned the rest of my life for me. If I don't go along with it, he'll hurt the people I love. I make my way up the stairs. Hali has stopped sleeping outside my room since she saw the picture of me and Xavier. She doesn't think I like Duncan. Duncan. I go to his room. Slowly creeping inside I see he is sound asleep. I don't want to wake him, but I don't want to be alone. I get into the bed with him. He won't mind.

"Scarlett?" He calls groggily.

"Sorry, I just didn't want to be alone." I reply.

"S'okay." He stretches his arms. "I'll sleep on the floor."

He's so nice. And he likes me. How am I going to tell him that I can be with him or else his entire family will die. How? My face begins to rise in temperature and I feel cold tears running down my face. I burst out into a sob.

"Scar," He pulls me closer to him and strokes my hair as I cry into his chest. "Its going to be okay. I'll keep you safe." He thinks I'm crying about the games. How am I going to tell him? I have to tell him nicely, with taste. "Snow wants me to marry Xavier and I have or he'll kill everyone we love and I have to do also because Snow's my faaather. And I have to lie about being preg-nant because he wants me out of the gayymess!" I blurt it out and continue to cry. My sobs are muffled. I can feel him kiss the top of my head. "Its okay. We'll find a way around it."

Once I finish crying Duncan got me a glass of water and I downed it. After a trip to the bathroom, I tried to go to sleep. I was afraid he would wait till I was asleep and sleep on the floor. But he never lets go of me once. In his arms I feel safer than I ever have in my entire life.

I wake up and he's gone. So many scenerio's go through my head. What if Snow found out I was here and sent his men to kill him.

I rush around the apartment and he is nowhere to be found. Exma is sitting having his breakfast. "Where's Duncan?" I try to sound casual so I don't alarm him.

"With Harry. They went for a jog. Get ready and come eat." He orders. I do as he says. Clothes are laid out on the bed. Simple outfits for our training session. I eat in silence. It is just Exma and I here. "Stay at the survival station. You don't need to practice anything else." He says.

I want to ask 'why'. I'm bad at using the weapons. I need the practice. But I can't find my voice, so instead I settle for a, lying, nod. He escorts me to the elevator. When Hali is nowhere to be seen, he steps in with me.

"Its going to be okay." He says. I don't bother asking what he's talking about. He probably thinks I'm depressed about the Hunger Games. Right now, I could care less about them. Even though they are the root of my problems.

To my surprise Exma hugs me. I do not return the hug, I feel too defeated. But I do splutter a "thanks," to him. The metal doors ping open and I walk into the training area.

People are busy at the various stations. There is no sign of Duncan. I look around and can see no camera's or Snow anywhere. I go to the paiting station. I like it, its calming.

After twenty minutes of painting, I sit on the floor with the paintbrush and begin painting a tattoo on my arm.

"You're harshing my mellow."

I look up to see the blue headed girl from yesterday standing there. I look back down. "Ok." I don't want her to stay. I want to be alone. But it doesn't work out when she sits down next to me.

"I'm Nevara." She extends an arm. Her mood seems to have improved.

I don't shake it. I'm trying to alienate her and make her leave me alone, but she won't. "I'm sorry I was mean yesterday, I just didn't like you."

"Fair enough," I chaffed. Then I remembered I was supposed to be quiet.

"So what's your name?" She asked.

"Scarlett Cadett." I threw the whole concept of being quiet out.

"Interesting..."

"Why's that?"

"Scarlett Cadett, literally translated it mean the 'red soldier.'"

"Huh, never noticed that." Its interesting to find that out, but I don't really make anything of it. After all, its probably just a coincidence.

"Grape?" She opens her other hand to reveal many green grapes. I smile and take one.

"Where did you get them from?" I asked.

"I got them from my district partner, he smuggled them in from breakfast." She pops one in her mouth.

"I've never seen grapes this big before." One is the size of a big toe.

"I wonder how many you could fit in your mouth," she said.

"Maybe 5," I think aloud.

"Deal!"

"What?" I look at her to see she's wearing a devilish smile.

"I bet that I can get more than 5 grapes in my mouth." She says. Before I can say anything she shoves a grape in her mouth.

"One," I say. She shoves in another and another and before I know it she's got five in her mouth.

"Ha's 'I've" she muffles.

"I guess you win." I laugh. She eats the grapes and swallows.

"Now its your turn"

I consider attesting, but don't. I need some fun and this is clearly cheering me up.

"Alright," I saw wairily. I take the first grape and stuff it in.

"One," Nevara says. Stuffing five is harder than it looks. It just about fills half my mouth.

"I 'et I coul' geh mow in ma mou'h." She hands me some more grapes.

"This I have to see."

I am about to stuff another three in at the same time but someone coughs. We look up. An Avox is standing there. She beckons her finger towards me, gesturing that she wants me to come with her. I stand up and follow her. Glancing back to see Nevara sitting there confused, I quickly bite down on the grapes. Juice pours out the sides of my mouth and I wipe it away with my sleeve, swallowing the grapes. The Avox leads me outside the training center to the area just between the lift and the doors. She leaves me there and goes back into the training center.

"Gee thanks for your help(!)" I mutter. Standing there, like a lemon, waiting for something is the last thing I want to be doing. My happy mood has just be dampened.

But it runs away when the elevator doors ping open and President Snow steps out. What's worse is that he is with Xavier. The two are laughing, they stop when the see me standing there. No doubt they note the completely astounded expression on my face. "Scarlett." Xavier nods in greeting. I don't do a thing.

Snow walks over to me and pats me on the back. "Just making sure we are all on the same page, I wanted you both to meet and work out a 'game plan' as it were."

"A...a game plan?" I splutter.

"How we're going to show the press our love." Says Xavier. "It was an honour meeting you sir." She shakes Snows hand. Snow says goodbye to me and leaves.

"What the hells going on?" I ask.

"Look, I'm only doing this so my loved one doesn't get hurt. Do you think I want to love you? Please just go with this Scarlett. Its only for a few days and it won't kill you. I'll probably die in the Games anyway."

I see the pleading look in his eyes. I will have to marry him if he survives. But most likely chance is he won't. He's right. In the long run it won't mean a thing. When he does die, I could pretend to go into a crippling depression and lose his 'baby'. "Alright." I say. "I'll pretend to be in love with you."

"Thank you." With that he leaves. I don't go back in just yet, I don't want to. To my surprise, and relief, the elevator doors open to reveal Duncan.

"Where have you been?" I half yell.

"I was out with Harry, needed to clear my head."

"And?" I'm expecting a better excuse than that.

"I'm think you should do whatever keeps Snow off your back."

He is talking about what I told him last night. I don't bother telling him I've already made my decision, knowing that he cared enough to think about it is touching.

"But just know that I'm going to be there by your side supporting you."

He goes to the door and takes my hand, just before he opens it I speak.

"Wait..."

"Yes?"

"I don't want to go back in. Can't we just blow it off?"

"Are we allowed?"

"I don't see how they can stop us."

We found a place up on the roof of the building. Its nice out here, peaceful. Its high enough from the streets to be quiet but close enough not to feel isolated. The room itself is a garden. There's a hammock, two benches, a few small rose bushes and a path made from pebbles and sad. There also a small water fountain at the heart of it all.

"I feel bad." I say. I peel the skin off the chicken and put it on my plate. We ordered some food from room service before coming up here, then put it in a basket.

"Why?"Duncan ask picking up the chicken skin and eating it. This works very well. I hate the chickens outerlay and he loves it.

"I don't have to train, but you're still going to the games. You need the training."

He shrugs, "I don't really mind. I'm a good enough fighter."

"But still," a thought comes into my mind. I get up and take a stick from the makeshift fireplace under the little shelter. I hand him one.

"What's this for?"

"A little Swordplay. Its not much but atleast its a type of training."

He gets up, amused by my preposition.

"But I couldn't hurt the mother of my child." He mocks.

"Not even funny," I say despite my laugh.

He takes up a postion and I whack my stick towards him. He ducks.

"Hey you're pretty good at this."

"Never done it before in my life." I slam it towards him again. He blocks my attack with his stick, twists my stick to an uncomfortable position, forcing me to drop the stick. I hold my hands up as a sign of surrender.

"I'm much better,"

I swipe my leg under him, causing him to fall. Unfortunately I misscalculated and instead of falling backwards he falls forewards onto me. I go down head first but before my head cracks open on the floor he puts his hand out to stop him falling while he grabs me by the waist. So it looks like he's doing a press up with only one hand, while holding me in his other.

Well this is as good as any moment.

I kiss him.

The world stops. Its the second time I've kissed him but its better than before. My heart wants to escape from my chest. We've only known each other, properly, for three days and already he's my rock.

"He may have you in the spotlight," he breathes, "but your mine off stage."

I laugh, "That sounds very possesive." He sets me down and sits opposite me.

"I went with what I thought of in the moment."

"Well it was very sweet." I say, I pull his head closer to mine. "And I have you too."

***MUST READ IN REGARDS TO THE STORY* Hey, thanks for reading. Please review, I know you want to ;). But seriously, REVIEW I want to know what you think of the story so far and whether you like the Duncan and Scarlett pairing or Scarlett and Xavier. **

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	6. Chapter 6: More information

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Chapter 6- The interview.

This is the first interview we are doing before the games, there will be another one, two days before we go in. In this interview I am supposed to act head over heals in love with Xavier when anounces that he loves me on national television. _Correction_, That we both love each other on national television.

"Relax, its going to be fine." Xavier has come up behind me. He does that a lot.

"What if he doesn't buy it?"

"He will." He places a firm hand on my shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly.

Its only just hit my how important it is for me to pull off this charade. I don't care if I go to the games or not, but if I don't pull this off people I love could very well die.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present our second guest; Xavier Kray! Tribute from District 1!" Flickerman anounces.

"Quick hug me."

I do as Xavier says, standing on my tip toes a little to put my arms around his neck. I can hear the roar of the audience. He let's go of me and kisses me on the cheek. Then he goes out onto the stage.

I can hear wolf whistles and as I look back up at the screen for tributes viewings I see the camera on my face. My expression is just mildly surprised. I pretend to blush and be embarrassed. That gets them more riled up. Clearly they're loving the whole romance thing.

"Well I must say!" Flickerman begins once the audience has quieted. "What was that?"

And Xavier goes on to answer the many questions, that are thrown at him, like a professional. In the end, the audience is like putty in his hands. They believe that he and I fell madly in love the first moment we laid eyes on each other.

I wonder, will my family be watching this?

"So tell me," Caesar diverts the questioning back to me when he gets the formal stuff about his background out of the way, "when did you first know you were in love with her?"

"I guess it had to be when I saw her reaping. I didn't fall completely in love with her then, I was just completely mesemerized by her. So many people volunteered, but she didn't let them. And I just found that amazing."

"I think its safe to say we all did," the audience murmurs in agreement. Its weird to hear them talking about me while I'm standing right here. No doubt all the other tributes from behind me are scowling. Caesar starts pushing for more information, like when exactly did he start to have 'feeling' for me. Its sounds so corny.

"I didn't actually start to have feeling for her until the opening ceremony." He says. Clearly, saying the word 'feelings' is very mushy for him.

"Tell us more,"

"Well, she didn't have a step ladder to get onto her chariot. I could only see the back of her, but I decided to help her on. When she turned around, she...took my breath away. She had to be the most stunning person I had ever met."

Flickerman puts his hand over his heart, "I know what you mean. Do we have footage of the opening ceremonies?" He says to the producer who is standing in the wings. The screen cuts to footage of me and Duncan rolling in. Everybody sighs as they look at my dress.

Cleverly, the video stops just before I trip. They obviously want everybody to forget what happened with me and Duncan. Flickerman goes back to asking him questions then. After saying goodbye, Xavier is led off to the exit and the next tribute is welcomed on. Once a tribute has finished their interview they have to go the the other waiting area, they cannot come back here.

I look around behind me. The other tributes are still scowling up at the screen. Duncan is at the back of the room. There is a peacekeeper next to him. Snow probably gave orders for him to be restrained in case he decides to pull a stunt of any sort.

"Hey," Nevara wanders up to me.

"Hi." I answer back. I'm too nervous to start up a conversation.

"So you and the guy from 1?" She is looking for conformation that we are really 'in love'.

"Yeah." I badly want to bite my nails or something, but I can't.

"Do you wanna know why I was nice to you yesterday?" I don't answer her, her question is too queer, bu she goes on and answers. "Because when you were all depressed you kind of reminded me of my sister. And the more I think of it, you're a lot like she was."

"Was?" Its the word from her sentence that stands out the most.

"She was a tribute three years ago and died."

"Oh," I feel sorry for her. Her sister was picked and died, and now she's been picked. Her family must have awful luck.

"Anyway, the point of me telling you this, when my sister lied she became very in control of herself. I could tell when she was stressed and hiding it. You're both incredibly similar," she places a hand on my shoulder. "What's going on Scarlett?"

I want to tell her to stop prying. None of this is her business, she doesn't know me. She decides to be nice to me and now she has a right to know everything? No, she doesn't. I want to say that, but I can't.

She's only looking out for me, why; I don't know. But I can't tell her because it could put her in danger. "Nothing."

And I walk out of the room into the hallway. The water cooler is there, I grab a cup and pour myself some. Though once I've gulped down the water, I lean against the wall a chew the cup edges. I go through everything Xavier told me to say.

Soon, much too soon (they most likely rushed the other tributes to get to me to find out the juicy gossip from me), I am called up.

The camera trains on me as I walk out onto that enourmous stage. A million eyes are fixed on me. The light is blinding at first and I cannot hear myself over the loud roar of cheers. But when they quiet I wish they hadn't, because now I can hear my heart beating fast out of my chest.

"Welcome, welcome. The lady we've been waiting for," Caesar yells. I take a seat and he spares no time jumping in and asking me questions. "So tell us, how did you first look at Xavier and think 'this boys got my eye'!"

I laugh along with the audience at the humouress impression of me. Slowly I breathe and remember all Xave and I talked about. My mind places me back in the memory.

_"He's going to ask you when we first met. That's a given." Xavier was sitting across me on the floor of the balconly. It was dark night. This was the time we agreed to meet. I was the one who pushed for this time. Duncan would be asleep and we would be the only ones awake. Duncan wasn't handling this situation as well as he thought he would be. He was becoming too protective of me, didn't like it when I was with Xavier._

_"So I'll just tell him about the opening ceremony, when you gave me the step ladder." I said. _

_"Good. Now lie to me, and make it convincing."_

_I thought about a lie I would probably have to tell and decided to practice it. I stared him in the eyes and put on my most convincing face. "I am completely in love with you Xavier, always have and always will be." I was happy with the lie. But my happiness was gone when I saw the sadness in Xavier's face._

_"What's wrong?" I asked._

_"Nothing," he got up and leaned on the railings. "I'm trying to decide how to lie. I'm really bad at it."_

_"Just relax and breathe." I joined him, looking over the sleeping Capitol._

_"Thanks for the advice." _

_"Who are you trying to save?" I asked. It was a general question. He was helping me to stop Snow harming his 'loved one' as he said before. He didn't answer. Instead he leaned backwards on the rails. "I should go. Its getting late."_

_"Yeah." I said. It was clear he wasn't going to tell me. I was a little disappointed. I walked him to the elevator area. "What if I screw up?" I spilled out before he left. He pivoted around to see me and scratched his head._

_"She's going to be the love of my life. Strong, courageos, kind and beautiful."_

_"What?" I said, confused._

_"The person I'm trying to save." And he walked into the elevator. "Either that, or she's going to be the death of me." He chuckled._

"Thank you, thank you," Flickerman says once the interview is over. "But before we finish I just have one more question."

"Of course," I say lightheartedly.

"Now, your mother is a victor as we all know. But what about your father?"

Oh dear god.

No.

Oh dear god no.

I practiced answering all the other questions apart from this one. I didn't even think he would be interested in this.

"My father..." I falter. But then a story comes to mind. Its not really a story, but its a song. Duncan's father always used to sing it. "My father was a labourer. He died." I say simply.

"I am so sorry for your loss," Caesar says, he pats my hand. "But now what would he say to you if he was here today?"

He's looking for something heartfelt. But I don't know what to tell him. The only father figure I've ever known is Duncan's father... What would he say to me?

"He'd want me to die with honour."

There are no cracks on the roof. Nor are there any splodges of paint or anything irregular that I can fix my attention onto, rather than lie here and brood. Duncan has not come into my room as usual. I feel bad. The whole situation with him and Xavier isn't exactly helping. But he still doesn't realise that its him that I like, not Xavier.

I throw the covers off and head down the stairs.

"Thank you."

I hear someone say from the kitchen. Its Duncan. Why isn't he asleep?

"No problem kid." I stay in the shadows quietly and listen. He's talking to Harry.

"Just one thing though..." Duncan says, "is she really a, " I can't hear what he is saying, I peak and see that he is mouthing the word to Harry.

"Afraid so. But its not a bad thing. She's still Scarlett."

They're talking about me. What does he mean? Still Scarlett? I've always been Scarlett.

"Now get to bed, you got a lot of work to do in the morning."

I retreat into the shadows further and hold my breath as Duncan goes up the stairs, hoping he won't look down and see me.

When he is gone I make my way to the kitchen, to see Harry sitting at the table, staring at a bottle of vodka.

"You know I hate vodka." He says. His head hasn't moved but somehow he knows I'm standing in front of him.

"Then why do you drink it?" I reply.

"I don't. I'm only staring at it because its the only ounce of alcohol I could find, but I haven't touched a drop. Ask me why."

"Why?"

"Because everytime I'm about to, I think of my wife and child."

I take in what he is saying, trying to find if it has a double meaning. But something is clearly going on and I just want all this secrecy to end. First district eleven getting picked to abstain, now this?

"What's going on Harry? And cut the crap."

"And there it is." He looks up at me and smiles, as if he's just found something he was looking for. He gets up and walks out the door, then gestures for me to do the same.

I follow him out and instead of going to the elevator, he goes through the fire exit door and down the stairs so we are out on the streets of Panem. I'm hardly dressed for it in my purple night dress and robe. And my pink slippers don't protect me from the wind.

I am about to talk but he puts his fingers to his lips and keeps walking until we reach an alleyway. This must be the "slums" of Panem. Although if you ask me it looks a lot like the best part of district 10. He leads me into a little wooden house.

It is falling apart, but my guess is he took me here so no one would overhear. There is a punching ba the middle of the room, standing there on a metal pole.

"Hit it." Harry gestures for me to go there.

"You took me to this grotty little place to tell me to hit a stupid bag when I could have done that in the tribute training center?"

"Yes."

I scowl, but do as he says. Harry doesn't seem like a villain of any kind. Besides if I did die here, Snow would be sure to notice.

I punch the bag. It doesn't move but there were ripples across the cover.

"Again." He demands.

I punch again, the same reaction on the punching bag as before occurs.

"Everyone keeps telling me that you remind them of someone." He says, "punch."

I do. "Who do I remind you of?"

"I didn't say stop punching." He replies.

I punch the bag, left then right hand, continuesly for a few moments.

"She was a person, you don't need to about her yet. You'll find out when the time is right."

I punch the bag, it swings a little.

"I refuse to punch this stupid bag until you tell me what the hell is going on."

"And there it is. You know what I told those people when they said you were like her, I told them I didn't see it. She was feisty, you were just some polite little girl who claimed to have honour." He continues as if I haven't said a word.

I punch the bag as hard as I can, to stop myself from punching him. "You're a huge jerk!"

"I never saw it until now. You have that same fire in your eyes that she had when I first met her."

"How is this even remotely related to me?"

"It will be. Soon enough you'll know why I'm telling you this. But I brought you here to tell you to train."

"I don't need to." I say mindlessly, then I remember that he doesn't know that I am faking my relationship with Xavier, "I'm a good fighter," I cover up.

"I know. But you need to start up your instincts." Almost as if he can read my mind, "you Will be going to the games. Don't be fooled."

"What am I?" I ask. He looks at me curiously. He realises I am refering to the few sentences I heard from his and Duncan's conversation.

"You'll find out-"

"-soon enough." I mimick annoyingly. He's getting annoying. What is going on? I desperately want to know. But I trust Harry, not with my life but, enough to know that if he is not telling me something then it is for the best.

But I know this much;

There is something bigger going on, and its larger than me.

I return to bed that night and leave once again. Only this time I go to Duncan's room. He is lying down asleep. I don't wake him up, instead I go and lie down next to him, knowing he won't mind. For now I just want to feel safe, and the safest place I can think of is in his arms.

_**Not sure if i'm gonna discontinue the story or carry on, kinda on the borderline of both please tell me if i should continue or not**_


	7. Chapter 7: The fire

**Okay, bit of a long chapter, but not that long compared to the others. It was going to be very long but I decided to put the 1st climax into chapter 8 that way this chapter isn't too long **sirius-remus-rosalie**, who I am continuing the story because of, and my beta better **Le'Strange Awesome**. Enjoy...**

Chapter 7

This is the week of the private training sessions. Then we will have three days until the games. A few years ago this process was much shorter. But now they have made it longer to prepare tributes, make even the worst fighters become the best. Because in the end, that is what will make an entertaining show. I spend time training almost everyday. I'm alone when I train though. Harry is focusing on getting Duncan in peak physical condition. Which leaves me rather stranded. I'm really bad at many things. But using weapons is my worst attribute. On Wednesday we will have our training sessions with the game makers.

When it comes to the training session, my arrow lands on the wall behind me somehow, the sword I was using got cut in half instead of the dummy, I try throwing one of the big steel balls, but as I lift it up it falls behind me. All in all, not a very good session. So you can imagine my surprise when I land and impressive ten. Snow must have influenced them somehow.

I finish my latest training session and go up stairs. Only to be surprised to find Xavier lying down on my bed, reading a book leisurely.

"What are you doing here?"

I walk into the room and shut the door.

"I," he gets off the bed and reaches to a box, that I have never seen before, on my dresser, "got you a present." He opens the box to reveal a beautiful red dress made from silk. He picks it up and drops the box on the bed. It is gorgeous.

"Why?" I ask very cautiously, I'm not used to receiving gifts.

"Because we are going out tonight." He's says it as if we do this thing normally.

"We're not going to be allowed."

"I've already sorted that. Now get dressed."

I walk into the en suite bathroom and shut the door, discarding my clothes and slipping into the shower.

"So where are we going?" I ask, loudly so he can hear me from my bedroom.

"A little restraunt I found. They have nice music. I think you'll like it."

I step out of the shower five minutes later and put on the dress. The silk is soft against my skin. I dry my hair as quickly as possible and apply make up, just as Exma taught me to do.

Before we leave the room Xavier sits me down at the dressing table.

"I have one more thing for you..." He opens up a small jewellery box. Inside is a golden chain, a circular golden pin with and arrow going through it and a bird has been slipped onto it.

"Xavier, its beautiful. How did you get it?" My fingers trace over it as he puts it on me.

"Let's just say Harry was insistent I gave this to you."

"Harry?" I didn't think he liked the fact that Xavier and I were being forced together. "Huh, that's new. Anyway, shall we go?"

He puts out his arm for me to take. I take it reluctantly. I know I will feel extremely guilty, but surely Duncan will realise that I'm doing this to protect him?

Flickerman sits across me. His mouth is moving but I can't heard his words. Besides, I know the question. The lights are bright, blinding me. 2, I scored a 2 in training. But that is not what Caesar has just asked me about. He asked me the pivotal question. I was trained to answer the question. 'How are things with you and Xavier?' I am supposed to reply excellent, and say everything Snow told me to say. But there is something else Xavier told me... I can't remember what it is. I reach for the memory in the back of my mind but it keeps flying away, like its running away from me, so I try not to remember it. I hope it will come to me later.

Tomorrow is the Hunger Game. Today is the day I will be excused from them. Due to my pregnant state. But I'm not pregnant. Which brings me back to Flickerman, he is awaiting my answer eagerly.

"We're fine. Very much in love." I know my face is completely in my control, I am wearing a slightly sad expression but a sorrow full smile. The audience is putty in my hands, some of them have burst out into sobs.

"If only there were something we could do," Flickerman clasps my hands in my lap.

"I wish Caesar," I sigh and tilt my head to the side, now is the time for me to drop the bomb, "especially since I am-"

I am cut off by a loud siren buzzing inside the building. Then in split seconds water sprinklers are set off and the audience screech as their wigs are ruined. The peacekeepers escort everyone out of the building. We are led to the courtyard in front of the television center, and it is then that I realise what happened.

Huge clouds of thick, black smoke pour out from the building as it burns. Firemen rush to put out the fast-spreading flames. The fire is right at the doors now. It must have been right behind Caesar and I, in the room with the tributes, when the interview was going on. So why wasn't the bell rung straight away when they spotted the fire? Clearly they evacuated the room full of tributes when they saw the fire because they are standing in the huge crowd watching the burning building with me... Someone must have wanted my interview to go on for as long as it could, until I said I was pregnant and I was able to be excused from the games. But the flames obviously spread to quickly and if they had kept the interview going any longer people might have died, so I didn't manage to say it.

Oh god. My fake pregnancy was the only way out. Now there was none.

I was going to go to the Hunger Games.

I was going to die.


	8. Chapter 8: The Hunger Games

Chapter 8

All interviews were cancelled after that. The equiptment in the studio was wrecked. And we were sent home.

"Duncan, I'm scared." I whisper. We are under the duvet of the bed. It was a trick his mother taught me when I was feeling scared or sad or sick. I latched the top of the duvet onto the head board so it is like a tent. It makes me feel safe. He strokes my face.

"You realise there is absolutely no reason for you to be scared. You're going to be fine. You're a fighter."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. Its in your blood," he looks straight at me. I keep telling myself I should be scared. I keep saying it outloud. But the truth is, I'm not. It hasn't hit me that I will be going into the games. I know I should be scared, I'm going to die. But a part of me thinks this entire situation is made up, I still can't believe its happening to me. Tomorrow morning we will be primped and primed for the games. Then we will be sent to the arena. Then it will begin.

"Hey," he says. "You've still got that far away look in your eyes."

"I'm just thinking." I state.

"Don't think, just relax. Everything is going to be fine for you."

Before I can protest, he leans closer to me and shuts me up with a kiss. It ignites a fire in my belly. Just this once, I want more. I want to be with him. Because I'm might not be tomorrow.

I wake up in the morning smiling. But it fades when I remember what day it is. I get up and get dressed, leaving the room while Duncan is still sleeping. The tranquility does not last long. Within minutes Hali rushed into my room and grabs me by the wrist, she pushes into the dining room and practically shoves a plate of food in my face, and leaves to go get Duncan.

Exma and Harry are nowhere to be seen. I haven't seen Harry since a few nights ago, when we talked. When we have finished eating we are told to dress quickly and we are escorted to the aircraft hanger. From there Hali leaves us with hugs and kisses, wishing us the best of luck. Our prep teams are also there. Duncan says goodbye to his and I do the same. To my surprise, Freya is also there. She is my main stylist so I thought she would be at the arena prep room. But she is not, leaving me me to wonder who is there.

Once our goodbyes are said we make our way into the the huge aircraft.

Inside there are a total of 24 seats. All oposite each other and with huge straps incase anyone decided to run. I sit inside with Duncan next to me. A female peacekeeper comes and inserts a tracking device into my arm. The needle is huge and I wince when it pierces my skin, only to find that there is no pain. Just a dull twinge. As the hovercraft lifts off there is a small bump, then we are soaring high.

No one is talking. No one is giddy at the beautiful view. No one shows any emotion. Except one; bitterness. We all know what will happen to us. Our bitterness is towards the people responsible for it. The Capitol.

When the aircraft lands we are led underground, into the arena prep rooms.

Mine is down a long narrow corridor, as I step inside, Harry is standing there. In the room is a long narrow tube, that will lead me up to the arena, and a gurney.

"Why isn't Freya here?" I make my way onto the gurney and sit down. Harry stays leaning against the wall with his hands in his pocket.

"She was getting emotional so I decided to take over." He shrugs.

That's a lie. Freya wouldn't get emotional over the games. She seems like a very non-chalant person. "Is the time right, now?" I'm talking about the last conversation we had. He told me, that he would tell me everything when the time was right. I'm about to die, the time must be right now.

"No." He replies simply. There's no explanation, just a 'no'. If I wasn't so defeated, then I would be angry. But right now I couldn't care less.

"You're going to be fine you know,"

I look up, he has his arms crossed now.

"Why does everyone keep saying that! I have no idea how to fight! I got a stupid 2 in training!" I'm suddenly angry now. Why does everyone keep telling me I'm going to be fine? I am going to die. Duncan has more chance of surviving and winning the games than me.

"But that was in training. You weren't in a life or death situation so your instincts didn't kick in. Scarlett you are-"

The door opens and Harry stops speaking. Standing there at the door is President Snow, accompanied by two peacekeepers.

"Presi-" Harry starts, but Snow puts up a hand to indicate he stops talking.

"Would you please excuse us." He tells Harry. He wants to speak to me alone. Harry leaves and shuts the door behind me. Leaving just Snow and me in the room.

"You will not be going into the games." He tells me.

"What? Why not?" I spit out. Not going into the games would be worse for me. I would have to watch the slaughter. If I was there, then I could atleast try to protect Duncan.

"Due to your pregnant state."

I sigh. He's still going to go with that. I know there is no point in arguing with him. I just rub my forehead with my hand, I'm getting a headache, and nod with an exasperated sigh. "Fine."

He opens the door. Harry comes back in.

"Scarlett will be going now." Snow says.

"Oh," Harry says.

_"All tributes in tubes." Booms the speaker._

"Can I atleast say goodbye?" Harry says.

Snow narrows his eyes, but finally agrees. He leaves the room with the peacekeepers. " 1 minute. Once you are done report outside."

I nod. Once the door closes he comes over, and to my surprise, hugs me.

"It was good knowing you kid." He says loudly.

"Why-" he puts a finger to his lips, to tell me to stop talking. From his pocket he takes out a chain. Its the necklace Xavier gave me, I totally forgot about it. He fastens it around my neck. "For luck."

"What bird is it?" I ask.

He leans in and whispers to me, "a mockingjay."

I am going to thank him for all that he is done for me, but a sudden blow hits me in the chest and I fall against some glass. My eyes open and I see that I am in the tube. Harry is standing where he was before. He has pushed me into the tube.

As the platform starts lifting me up, all I can make out is Harry mouthing the word 'sorry'.

The platform rises and I can hear birds singing. The sunlight seeps into my vision and the loud voice of Claudius Templesmith. The countdown begins. I realise why it didn't hit me before. Because I didn't believe. I knew that Snow would stop me just before I went in. But now, it has truely hit me. His attempt has failed and I am standing here. I am now in the Hunger Games. And I am not afraid.


	9. Chapter 9: The Bloody Soldier

**Okay, so this chapter is long. But it is, in my oppinion, the best. The song mentioned is not my own. Its by Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars. When the part with the song comes, it is better to read it while you are listening to the song. So I recommend that you youtube it and read at the same time."**

Chapter 9.

24 tributes. 12 weapons. 16 supply bags. My feet are pounding away to the weapons first. A samurai sword. It is perfectly balanced and I wield it. A tribute from behind me kicks me in the back. I stumble only a little. They have a knife. It is a he. He tries to jab me with it. I twist his arm all around his back. He cries out in pain and drops it. I kick him in the shin.

"I'm so sorry," I squeal. My body has somehow become a machine, yet my mind is still my own. My mind is concious of what I am doing, but I am not controlling the actions. It is an inbuilt response in me. But my mind has some control, I am telling myself only to defend. Not to attack, not to kill. But even if I injure someone, they are as good as dead. There will be 22 other tributes who will kill them.

Another tributes runs after me. I duck low and swipe my leg, knocking their feet from under them. I jump over them and reach for a bag. In my haste I look around to find Duncan. He is not in the cornucopia. He must have gone to find high ground, just as we planned. I pick up two supply packs and dodge, duck and dive around tributes. I have injured atleast four. One latches onto one of my bags. I swing it around, and the fall to the floor. Before they get up I reach for a third bag and give it to them quickly. They look at me surprised, unsure of whether its a trick. "Good luck." I say. Then I run towards the woods. But there is an ear piercing scream. I look behind me to see Nevara pinned to the ground by a bulky girl from 2. She is strangling her. Without thinking I chuck the bags into a tree to stop anyone getting them, then I run towards her. I fly kick the girl of Nevara. She falls to the ground, but gets up swiftly. She swings her fist at my face. I duck, and grab her hand, crushing it. She yells and throws her other fist at me. Nevera kicks her head and she collapses unconcious.

"Come on!" I yell. She follows me to the tree. I put my hands up and speed up towards it, grab a branch and the speed from my run up makes my spin 180 degrees upwards, I swing my legs to knock the bags out of the tree. Nevara catches them. I let go of the branch and land in a squat. I get up and run, pulling Nevara along with me. We run for a mile or so, until we make it to a small clearing. We sit down and rest.

"So I guess we've formed and alliance huh?" She is catching her breathe.

"Unless you don't want to," I counter.

"I want to," she replies.

Nevara chucks me a bag. Though the other one was meant to be for Duncan, I don't say anything. Between the two of us we could probably get a lot of food.

"Okay. We need to find water." I say.

We search around for a brook, creek, river or lake. Duncan and I made a plan to find a supply of water and meet there.

A loud canon is set off.

"The blood bath must be over." Nevara comments. I nod solemnly and we listen to the canons. A total of thirteen go off. That's thirteen tributes dead, "11 of us left."

The sun is setting. We find a little river and set up camp in a huge tree above it, after filling up our canteens, we climb onto the tree and strap ourselves in. The branches conceal us well. I take the first branch so if we are found, they will have to get through me. I open my bag and check what's there.

"What did you get?" Nevara whispers from above me.

"I got..." I sift through it, "a knife, some crackers, a plastic jar of honey (probably to use as antiseptic for anything), and a tin food container. What about you?"

"Roughly the same, but instead of honey and crackers I got bandages and a bag of peanuts."

"Nice."

I let out a yawn and close my eyes. I look at the sky, watching as the seal of Panem flashes and pictures of the fallen tributes appear. All of the young tributes, 11 to 14 years old (there were only 4), are dead. No doubt they died in the cornucopia. The four people I injured are dead also. The tribute I helped is not. I sleep tonight, tired from the day.

When I wake up in the morning, its almost like every other morning. Not because of the beautiful scenery, but because when I open my eyes, the first thing I see is Duncan. He sitting on the branch next to mine eating some fruit.

"Morning," his tone is casual.

"When did you get here?" I untie myself from the tree. I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. My breathe stinks, so I'm not going to kiss him on his mouth.

"About an hour a ago. I foraged a little. Here," he offers me some of the round, yellow fruit. I bite down, bitter juice fills my mouth. I almost want to spit it out but then the taste changes to sweet. Its very filling. A single piece is the size of my fist.

I haul myself off the tree. "Where's Nevara?"

"She went hunting."

I walk slowly to the river and take off my shoes.

"What are you doing?" Duncan asks. He jumps off his branch.

"I'm taking a dip."

I dive into the river with my clothes on. I don't bother taking them off because the water on them will keep me cool in the hot weather. I rinse my mouth out and step out of the river.

"So," I tie my hair up with a my rubberband that I took with me before the games. "What's our game plan?"

"I was thinking we take out the career pack."

"Okay,"

I climb the tree trunk so I can grab my bag. Its good to have Duncan here. I always feel complete when he's around. I don't know what I would do without him.

"Hey, you know what we should do after this?" He says.

"What," my voice is a little hoarse the sound of my struggle to sit on the branch. I open up the bag and sift through it to try and find the knife.

"We should totall-"

I find the knife in the bag and look up to see why he stopped talking. The air is filled with his pain staking cry. The half smile on my face drops completely. "No..."

I jump off the branch and run towards his body on the ground. I can see him struggling, he's still alive. An arrow is lodged into his lower torso. Blood is gushing out of the wound.

"DUNCAN!" I scream, as if it will help. In seconds I'm by his side. "Dunc? Come on! Stay with me buddy,"

"Lis-listen to me," he spits out, "co-come he-here," he grits his teeth and let's out a growl. I lean closer to him, "on the second nih-night, go to the cornucopia."

I nod rapidly, "Wait, no, why are you telling me? We can go there together. You're going to be fine, do you hear me?"

He shakes his head, biting his lip, "no I'm not, th-the arrow hit my lung,"

"But its too far down," I note the angle the arrow is wedged in. It must have hit several major organs on its way to his lung.

"I love you, Scarlett Cadett. Remember that. Bu-but I need you to," he coughs, "let me go."

And then it crashes into me. The pain. The grief. The sorrow. All at once. My face rises in temperature, and my eyes begin stinging. My muscles drop and I start leaking tears. "Please don't go. Don't..." I force myself to say the word, "die." As if my pleading will make him change his mind. Its wrong of me to ask him, he has no control over it.

He lifts his hand with great effort and strokes my cheek. I hold his hand there.

"I'm sorry," barely above a whisper.

"Please," my voice comes out in pauses, to match my sobs, "I'm not, I'm not ready for you to go yet. I need you," its croaky with tears and agony.

"You are amazing, you-you'll survive."

"But I don't want you to go," I whispers.

His breathes becomes quicker. He let's out a whine. His forehead is drenched with beads of sweat. Hell be gone in a few minutes. "Hey Scar,"

"Shh, save your energy." I sniff. I am holding his head in my lap and rocking back and forth.

"Can you si-sing to me, p-please."

I smile down at him through the tears. "Okay," I whispers. I clear my throat. I know the song. I stroke his hair.

"_We'll do it all..Everything.. On our own We don't need..Anything..Or anyone_..." he smiles and looks up past me, at the sky.

"_If I lay here..If I just lay here..Would you lie with me and just forget the world?..I don't quite know..How to say..How I feel..Those three words..Are said too much..They're not enough"_ he closes his eyes, I pause.

"Car-ry on, I'm just. Resting"

I want to burst out crying. But instead I carry on. "_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_Forget what we're told_

_Before we get too old_

_"Show me a garden that's bursting into life_

_"I need your grace_

_To remind me_

_To find my own_

_If I lay here_

_"If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_Forget what we're told_

_Before we get too old_

_Show me a garden that's bursting into life_

_All that I am_

_All that I ever was_

_Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see_

_I don't know where_

_Confused about how as well_

_Just know that these things will never change for us at all_"

He let's out a sigh. It is his final breathe. Its almost as if I can hear his heart stop. Because my heart has stopped beating with his. I finish the song for him, its just one more verse.

"_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_"

Then I stand up, and gently kiss him on his forehead. "I love you Duncan."

My heart has stopped with him. And I have also died here with him. There will be no coming back from this. The innocent Scarlett, the girlish one is dead. All that's left is me. The red soldier, the bloody soldier. And now it is the Capitol that should cower. They should cower beneath me. For a single reason. Just one. Because, President Snow should hear this;

"I'm not Playing anymore."


	10. Chapter 10: The Final Chapter

**This is the Final Chapter. There might be a part two fanfiction if there are enough people interested. There definately will be an Epilogue. Thank you for the reviews. And I am really sorry sirius-remus-rosalie about Duncan's death, it just had to happen. So Enjoy the Last full on, Long-ass chapter. **

Chapter 10- The Final Chapter...

_"Please sir, I...I...did what you asked," the twelve year old boy was trembling on the screen. He was as white as a sheet. Snow wrinkled his nose up at the screen. He was in the game makers control room. It was deserted apart from him, and Plutarch Heavensbee. The boy was in the arena, talking to the secret Camera. He was filthy looking and his face had been wet with tears. Snow had watched the boy crying in a tree as he shot the arrow at the boy his daughter had been talking with. But the boy had cried harder at her song, it only reminded him of the atrocity. Once the boy had finished his pathetic snivelling he had made his way to the camera and adressed Snow._

_"Indeed." Snow replied. The boy waited for him to say more, but he didn't. _

_"Sir, you promised me..." He hesitated, he didn't want to sound rude but he went ahead anyway, "you promised you would save me,"_

_Snow raised an eyebrow. He had promised the boy. "I promised I would save you from the games. From their horror." The boy couldn't see him, only hear him. "So yes, I will save you."_

_Snow strode to the big red button on the left and pressed it. The boy was engulfed in flames that shot up from the ground he screamed. As he flailed, all his eyes portrayed were a question;_

_Why?_

_Snow answered his inaudible thought aloud. "No one escapes from the Hunger Games."_

_With that, the boy was ashes. Snow was getting ready to leave the room, when Plutarch called him._

_"Er, sir? You better see this,"_

_He indicated to the live air screen, showing what was being broadcasted to Panem. Scarlett stood up from the dead body of the boy and looked straight at the camera. It sent a shiver down his spine, like she was actually staring at him. _

_"I'm not playing anymore." She spoke, her voice echoing._

_Snow shook his head in shame. She had become the next Mockingjay despite his best efforts to avoid that. History was repeating itself. He had to handle this now. He would not have another full blown Mockingjay Dilemma on his hands. _

_"Sir, what should we do."_

_Snow sighed, this would be a great loss, but he had to do what was right by Panem. "Kill her."_

"What happened..."

Nevara is behind me. The dead rabbit in her hands has dropped. I know what she sees. I am standing next to a lake of blood, and no doubt I am covered in it. Duncan was taken in the hovercraft. Its just us left. I take my bag and start walking.

"Where are you going?" Nevara yells behind me. She is running to keep up with me.

"The end."

"What?" She is breatheless, I am taking long strides. "Scarlett slow down!"

I stop and whirl round to face her. "I can't slow down!" I scream. And here come the tears again. "I can slow down physically," I wipe the tears away with my sleeve only to wipe more away, I must be pulling a hideous face, I look ugly when I cry. "Its in here that I can't slow down," I point to my head, digging my nail into my forehead a little just to check that I can still feel. That I'm not a machine. Made by the Capitol.

"I don't understand Scarlett,"

"Listen to me, please listen." I know I'm scaring here. I've got that crazy look in my eyes. But I have an idea. "I have to take them down."

"Who?"

"The Capitol. And there's only one way to do that." I grab her by the shoulders, "I have to beat the system."

"And how do you suppose you do that? Well?"

"The end Nevara, there's always an end. This arena, it has to end somewhere. And if I find it, then...then..."

"Then what?"

"Then I'll have proved it. They have a weak spot. They can be defeated. I never had a chance of survivng. But if I die knowing that I found their weak spot then...I'll die happy." I search her face for any emotion. Does she think I'm crazy? Have I gone crazy?

"I'm in."

I'm not crazy. If she agreed, its because she understands me. "Then let's go."

It isn't until we have walked a few more meters that we run into five tributes. The career pack. You can tell just by the look of them.

"Well, well. Hey boss. Look who we got here." A ginger headed boy looks at us both like we are pieces of food to be devoured. Kairo. He is from 2, followed by Aira, also from 2. They are will Lila from 3 and Wolfie from 4. They part to allow the fifth person through. I should have known. "Xavier."

Of course he's the leader of the careers. This whole thing stinks of him.

"What should we do with them?" Aira asks.

"Nothing. They are not to be harmed. Take the mixed haired one. Let the blue one go."

I try summoning that strength I had before. But its scarpered. They clamp down on my arms and pull me along. I drag my feet and scream as I pull back.

"Let go of me!"

Nevara make a dash for me but Kairo grabs her and holds a knife to her throat. "Go quietly or she will die." He presses the knife closer to her. A small cut appears and the blade is a little wet with blood. Any deeper and she will be dead. "No!" I scream. "Don't killer her. I'll- I'll go quietly."

"Glad we came to an agreement." Xavier joins Kairo, he let's go of her but before she can attempt to run for me again Xavier smacks her head against the tree and she collapses. A canon is fired.

"NO! WHAT THE FUCK!"

Even the four behind me are shock stricken at his brutality.

"Let's go." He says. But I collapse to the floor. Unmoving, my legs numb underneath me. My voice comes out in ragged sobs. She's dead. Nevara is dead. Everyone I cared about here is dead. I want to keel over and die, but I'm not allowed to.

All I feel is the wind of the hovercraft appearing. I shut my eyes tight, not wanting to see her body being lifted. When I next open them a few seconds later, I am moving. Xavier scooped me up somewhere between my sobs and now we are making our way back to the Cornucopia. Its tradition for the Careers to set up camp there. I feel to weak to tell Xavier to let me go. I hate him. I hate him so much. How could he?

"Here." He says.

We are by a brooke. He sets me down gently besides it. From Aira's bag he fishes out some spare clothes and chucks them to me. He, Kairo and Wolfie leave the area and each take a section of the area, turn around and allow me to bathe. I could run. But I'm not going to. Because I am going to murder them all in their sleep. They ruint my chance of breaking free from the Capitol. Once I am done, I clothe myself with the clothes he gave. It is a relief to be out of the sticky clothes.

They all come back when I tell them I am done. It is afternoon now.

"Tie her up." Xavier commands.

"What? No!"

But despite my protests Wolfie ties my hands behind my back with my feet bound too.

So I am forced to sit while they build a fire and cook lunch. They hear several different sounds of people in the woods at several different times. Each time they return truimphant after a canon has sounded. It makes me sick. They receive joy from murder. Xavier has stayed at the camp to make sure I don't escape.

On the seventh time they all leave, leaving he and I at camp. The crackling of the fire can be heard in the deafening silence, until I finally break it.

"Why did you do it? Why did you kill her? I had surrendered."

He pours some soup into a mug and comes over to me. "I did it out of compassion. She was going to die without you there. Trust me, she's in a better place right now. Somewhere safe. She's probably looking over you now."

I scoff. "You're a jerk."

He lifts the soup up in a spoon and holds it out to me. "Here, eat this."

"No."

I refuse to eat a thing he gives me. He sets it back down. "I know you hate me right now. But I can live with that. I'm not sorry for what happened with Nevara. You'll forgive me eventually. Now here," he tries giving me the soup again.

"No." I purse my lips together, I will never take it willingly.

"You may be cute when you pout, but this isn't up for discussion."

He grabs my face and forces my mouth open. Practically shoving the spoon down my throat.

"I'm sorry." He says after letting go. "But you need to keep up your strength. The baby is still growing."

There is no stupid baby! He's doing it for the camera's. To make him seem more compassionate. Like hes feeding me because he loves me-

A huge pain its the side of my head. I topple over and my vision is blurry. I can just make out Xaviers blurred figure sitting ontop of me. He is saying something, but I can't hear him. I struggle to push him off, my arms barely strong enough to lift themselves. He pulls my left arm and I cannot see what is going on. A seering pain rips across it, and I realise.

He is killing me. Xavier is killing me. I have lost the Hunger Games. I am dead. I struggle then I become limp. Just as I lose my conciousness, I hear the canon sounding my death.


	11. Epilogue

When I next open my eyes. I know I am dead. I must be dead. Because I think I am in heaven. Well not heaven, just a very plush bedroom. I sit myself up and examine what happened. There is a bandage around my arm, and a bandage around my head.

"What happened..." I whisper to myself.

My attention flies to the door when it opens. Harry and Exma walk in.

"Oh thank god!" I cry. Familiar faces. "What's going on Harry?" I ask. He chuckles a little.

"Well, you know how I kept telling you I'd reveal all when the time was right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well that time is now." He and Exma walk over. Exma sits down on the bed and places the back of his hand on my cheek. "Her temperatures back to normal." He comments.

"Good." Harry says. "Anywho, my names not really Harry. Its Haymitch Abernathy. You may have heard of me."

I search my brain, "no I don't think so."

His face drops. "Re-really? Never. Haymitch the handsome devil, the revered rebel? Nothing-"

"And I am Cinna." Exma cuts in. "You are on an aircraft that's headed to District thirteen."

"What? There's no such thing as district thirteen anymore. What's going on? I'm so confused."

I raise my hand to my bandaged head, its throbbing.

"Its okay," Exm- or rather Cinna, soothes. "Calm down. You're safe. We'll explain everything. Why don't you come down to the meeting room and meet the leader of the rebellion."

I frown. What rebellion?

"Or as you might like to call her," Har-Haymitch says, "the original Mockingjay."

**I probably will have to make a part two. What do you think?**


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